Every steak needs a good sauce — even cauliflower
The last time I made cauliflower “steaks,” I was playing with the chicken-fried idea and I served them with a miso-mushroom gravy.
This time, my approach is lighter and brighter. In this recipe, they’re coated in a chickpeaflour batter, pan-fried and served with a chunky, sharp sauce made from thinly sliced scallions, grated ginger, sesame oil and lime juice.
The only trick to cauliflower steaks, by the way, is in the cutting. It’s hard to know just how many steaks you’ll get out of a head, because at a certain stage of the slicing you’re out of stem, which means that the florets no longer hold together. No worry. There’s enough batter to fry up all the stray bits, too.
Crispy Cauliflower Steaks with Ginger Scallion Sauce
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Make ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to three days.
For the sauce
1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger root
6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 jalapeño or mild green chili
pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1⁄4 tsp sea salt, or more as needed For the cauliflower 1 large head cauliflower
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder (granulated garlic) 1⁄2 tsp sea salt 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp grapeseed, sunflower or other vegetable oil For the sauce: Stir together the ginger, scallions, jalapeño or mild green chili pepper, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, honey and salt in a medium bowl. The yield is 2/3 cup.
For the cauliflower: Trim and discard the green leaves and any brown stem off the bottom of the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower on a cutting board, stem side down. To create steaks, start in the middle and work your way outward. Cut the cauliflower down the centre, then cut each half into ½-inch-thick slices, starting from the cut side and working toward the outer edge, repeating until the steaks no longer hold together. You should end up with three or four whole steaks. Break up remaining pieces into florets.
Whisk together the chickpea flour, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a wide, shallow bowl.
Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, dip a few of the steaks into the batter and turn to coat evenly. Transfer them to the pan; cook for three to five minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to the lined plate. Repeat with any remaining steaks.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Toss all the remaining florets into the batter so they are well coated, transfer them to the pan and fry, turning every two minutes or so, until golden brown and crisp. Restir the sauce; taste and add more salt, as needed. Serve the cauliflower steaks warm, with spoonfuls of sauce on top.
Per serving (based on 6): 190 calories, 7 grams protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 320 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fibre, 6 g sugar
Adapted from “More With Less: Whole Food Cooking Made Irresistibly Simple,” by Jodi Moreno (Roost Books, 2018).